If you want to get on to this important bit scroll straight down to the last couple of paragraphs. The preamble is by way of explanation and to get some serious issues off my chest!
Our daughter moved up to join us in March 09 after really struggling by herself down in Manc.
After a few months of recuperation we started to look at ways for her to make a living and several months after that a building in the village came up for sale - very cheap because it had been unoccupied for many years. It was perfect for her ideas to open a vegan deli and I encouraged her to expand the deli to a bakery so she could make a living - vegans are a bit thin on the ground.
To cut a long story short, after several months of hard work and several thousand pounds lighter of bank account we now have a re-roofed shop and workshop (plus loads of bakery equipment) and lovely shop, right on the village green. The back of the house i.e. living accommodation is still waiting to be done but thanks to a bequest from OHs recently late Grandfather we can afford to complete the work now.
So there's light at the end of what has felt like a very long tunnel.
A couple of months ago the gal met a new fella and has now informed us she's moving away to live with him. I can't actually describe how I feel about this. I'm really trying to see this as a positive step for her but at the moment, to be honest, I'm failing dismally - as well as seeing all the sh1t she's leaving us with is making me so livid - well I'm really struggling. There's been quite a lot of crying and low voices (I'm not a shouter).
So, and this is the important bit I mentioned above, we now find ourselves with a house, workshop and shop going spare! We're not really sure what to do with it. We're thinking it's probably not the best time to sell - while we're not interested in profit we would like to cover our costs. So we may well rent it out with a view to selling it on if whoever lives there wants to buy. The house has 2 bedrooms and a good sized garden - currently offering blackberries, pheasant berries and rosehips in abundance! A machete is required to retrieve them though. The only thing we've definitely decided on is that we'll finish the renovations and then decide. The other important issue is that whatever we do must involve another craft business opening in the village. Oh and if anyone wants to buy a load of bakery equipment get in touch - although I'm sort of tempted to move all that in here and change my business!
Any ideas would be most welcome and if anyone is interested let me know. This is a fabulous place to live and it's a wonderful life here but there are a few drawbacks. Unless you have a proper job like my OH (IT professional who can work from home) the season is short and the work can be hard (my shop is open 7 days a week from Easter to the end of Sept)- the upside of that is 6 months playtime every year (well if you don't include preparing for the next season and catching up with all the jobs you can't do during the season). Although a few villagers don't, it's damn near mandatory to have a car - the nearest supermarket is over 70 miles, the train 55 miles and virtually no bus service. Although a veg box scheme will hopefully be starting next month - which will be a huge relief. Most people hit Inverness (100 miles away) about once a month to stock up.
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) it is a relief. I moved up here from a very stressful job to take things easier and enjoy life, not start a new business that means I've got to get up at 4am to make bread! Especially now we're mortgage free and can start to wind down a bit.
